The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-11
I'M a SAD CONDITION.
The Re publican rarty in the Shoes OF tn,
Poor Fellow Who L. waiting for Some
thing to Turn Up.

| IN a SAD CONDITION.
The Re publican rarty in the Shoes OF the
Poor Fellow Who L. waiting for Some
thlng to Turn Up.
A large numbered Republican politi-
clans, of greater and less degree, have
been interviewed in various parts of
the country within the last few weeks
regarding the prospect for their party
in the approaching Presidential cam
paign. Nobody can have read many
such interviews without being struck
with the unanimity with which all
these politicians confess that they are
trusting to luck for success next year.
As rule they say that the Republicans
will carry the election, but when
pressed for an explanation as to how
they win do it, they always fall back
upon the theory that there will be q
Labor candidate for President; that he
will draw of about twice as many votes
from the Democrats as from the Re-
publicans; and that the Republican
nominee will thus slip in. In other
words, they virtually confess that on a
square test between the old parties the
Republicans are beaten before the
fight opens, but they trust to luck that
something will turn up by which their
party may win, without any reference
to the question of merits.
1t is curious to observe how COM
pletely the old issues" which have so
long been the stand-bys of the Repub-
licans are now disposed Of There
was the 'scare" argument, to begin
with, which did such excellent service
so long as the Republicans were in
power and could fool business men
and laboring men into the belief that a
Democratic administration ..invoives
financial, industrial and commercial
peril" to quote The words of the Mass
achusetts platform in 1884. But with
business better than it was in 1884,
and with the increased deposits show
ing that the laboring men are able to
save more than ever before, it is simply
ridiculous to tell business men or
laboring men that the country will be
ruined" if a Democrat is again
elected.
The 'rebel claims" "rebcl pen
sions." and 'rebel debt bugaboos
have also been done for. There may
be places in the backwoods where a
Republican stump speaker would still
venture to get off those ancient
gags" but among respe ctable peo-
pie nobody longer has the assurance
TO talk that sort of nonsense. And it
had tremendous hold upon intelli-
gent people only three years ago. If
they would be honest about it, tens of
thousands of men, who now see that
there was no foundation for their
dread, would confess that they were
only frightened into voting for Blaine
in 1884. against their convictions. by
the 'viewwith-alarm" plank about
the 'Tebel claim" business.
The S:ate-rights issue has gone the
same way with the ruin and the
"rebel CLAIMS" That a Democratic
President would have the chance to fill
vacancies in the Supreme Court with
men who believe in State-rights, and
that this would be dangerous to the
Nation, was once an effective argu-
ment. But the Supreme Court itself,
while composed entirely of justices ap-
pointed by Republican Presidents. has
made it of no avail in future, for that
court has settled the State-rights issue
in way which no Democrat wants to
unsettle, and Justice Miller has de-
clared that 1.-THE autonomy of the
States, and their power to regulate
their domestic affairs" are now estab-
| lishcd uson firm basis.
The ''solid South cry no longer
frightens any body. 1t used to be
urged that if the Democrats came into
power. they would virtually re-enslave
| the negroes, make the South uninhab-
liable by Northern men, and generally
cut up all manner of mischief But
the negroes themselves admit that
they are better off than ever before,
Northern men are settling in the South
in steadily growing numbers, and the
relations between the races are found
| by such Observers as General Armstrong
of Hampton, a Union soldier and
Republican, to be more kindly than at
any previous time since the war. On
the sectional issue all that the Repub-
licans have to offer is the assurance,
for which they may appeal with con-
fidence to their record in the past, that
if they are restored to power, there
will be more '.outrages" in the South
than there have been since Mr.. Cleve-
land vas inaugurated; but it may be
doubted whether even "Bilr' Chandler
or General Tuttle would venture TO
stump the country on that basis.
After all, when one comes to review
the field, it is not so evil as 1t appears
at first thought that the Republican
managers are trusting to luck in 1888.
All of their old devices are used up,
and they see as plainly as anybody else
that no new ones can be invented to
take their places. So it is that the or
ganization, which, as ''party of
moral ideas" elected Abraham Lin
coin in 1860, rests its hope of victory
in 1888. not upon the promise to the
wisest voters of the best candidate, but
upon the chance that Labor nominee
for President will draw more foolish
voters from the party than from its
OWN Y Post.